Turning Santa Paws Green This Year

Twinkling lights, your family’s laughter, and the rustle of paper as a waft of roast floats in from the kitchen. Christmas can be just as exciting for our pups as it is for us. And, while dogs don’t care if their present is wrapped in glittery foil or last week’s newspaper, they do feel the love and attention behind it. Not to be a killjoy, but Christmas can also come with a mountain of waste. This article isn’t about ruining our fun; but just to offer some simple ways you can help reduce the excess, without losing the magic.

Planet-friendly gifts

Every year in the UK, we spend millions on Christmas gifts that nobody really wants, with 99% of them ending up gathering dust or in the bin before summer even arrives! Nobody wants to waste that kind of money, so here are a few ideas for dog gifts that really will stand the test of time.

Plaited Tug and Snuffle Toys

In the run-up to Christmas, household waste in the UK spikes by around 30%, adding over three million extra tonnes of rubbish during the festive period alone.

Give old clothes a new lease of life by turning them into a fun tug toy for your dog.
Cut three or more strips of fabric to the same length, knot one end, plait the strips, then knot the other end. This works particularly well with thicker and fleecy materials.
Hide a few treats inside and you’ve got a homemade snuffle toy too!

Upcycled Cuddly Toys

Every Christmas, around 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging is thrown away, equivalent to 7 million large bags of dog food.

Charity shops can be treasure troves for soft toys but choose carefully. Swap out button eyes for fabric, check seams for safety, and avoid toys with bean fillings. A second-hand toy can bring just as much joy to your dog as a brand-new one.

Repair their old favourites

The extra waste we create at Christmas could fill 50,000 double-decker buses.

Every well-loved toy eventually reaches a point where it’s no longer safe for our dogs, maybe the stuffing is peeking out, or a limb is hanging off. Instead of throwing it away, gift your dog your time and effort; grab your sewing kit and patch it up. Your dog won’t mind wonky stitches or mismatched thread. After a quick wash, you’ve given them the best gift of all; their favourite toy back, without adding to the mound of rubbish.

Enrichment Boxes

Okay, these ones aren’t designed to last, but they will ensure your dog has the best Christmas day.  Each Christmas, UK households get through around 300,000 tonnes of cardboard and packaging paper, with the average family throwing away the equivalent of six trees’ worth each year.

Fill a cardboard box with chews and toys, nestled among scrunched paper, cardboard tubes or shredded junk mail. Once your dog’s finished with the fun, you can compost the shredded remains! Dogs love sniffing out hidden surprises, and you’ve given unwanted paper a second life instead of sending it to the bin. For extra credit, set this up in a quiet room if your dog needs a break from the Christmas chaos; it’s the perfect way to help them relax and enjoy their day. Of course, gifts are great, but let’s be honest, for our dogs, food tops the list every time. So, let’s move onto some satisfying snacks. 

Thoughtful treats

Shop-bought treats

Many pet food pouches are made from mixed materials, meaning they can’t go in your normal household recycling. It’s an easy source of waste to overlook, but it all adds to the huge volumes of packaging we throw away over Christmas.

Check out the growing range of eco-friendly treats by:

• Choosing local brands that use organic, sustainable ingredients
• Looking for packaging-free options at refill or pet shops
• Buying in bulk to reduce plastic waste

Or simply ask your current brand if they’re working on more sustainable packaging.

Homemade biscuits

Each year in the UK, we waste the equivalent of 263,000 turkeys. And the carrots we throw away could feed Santa’s reindeer every day for 500,000 years!

Put those leftovers and extra carrots to good use for your dog instead of throwing them in the bin. Try whipping up a batch of Carrot Crunchies; just mix grated carrot, smooth peanut butter (with no xylitol or palm oil), oat flour and an egg, shape into bones or biscuits, and bake until golden and crunchy. Pop them in a reusable jar or tin for a thoughtful, tasty gift your dog (or a friend’s dog) will love.

If baking’s not your thing, blitz up safe leftover turkey and veg (no bones, no skin, no seasoning) with a splash of water. Spoon the mix into an enrichment toy or spread it on a lick mat for a waste-free treat that’ll keep your pup busy and happy.

That’s the snacks sorted, now, let’s make sure the wrapping doesn’t undo all that planet-friendly effort.

Wrap it right

Many types of wrapping paper are non-recyclable, and with the traditional Christmas colours of red and green appearing as shades of brown for our dogs, there really is no loss in re-using the brown packing paper from Aunt Mary’s present! 

Each year, around 108 million rolls of wrapping paper are thrown away in the UK. Much of this wrapping paper contains plastic, glitter, or foil coatings that make it impossible to recycle. Your dog doesn’t care about shiny paper. Reuse brown packing paper and cardboard boxes from your gift deliveries, or wrap them in old newspaper.  For extra fun, let the kids decorate plain paper with dog doodles (just skip the glitter and foil so it can still be recycled). For homemade or bulk-bought treats, pop them in a reusable jar or simple paper bag tied with string. Once your gifts are wrapped, why not spread the joy even further by donating to those in need.

Spreading the joy

As you prepare for new things this Christmas, don’t forget to pass on or recycle the old. Shelters often welcome gently used leads, collars, blankets, and toys, giving them a second life and helping animals in need. Plus, a tidy toy basket makes it easier for your dog to find their favourites.

Donations really do make a difference. Just look at campaigns like the Salvation Army’s Big Toy Rehoming, which has already kept over 100,000 toys out of landfill. With the UK producing 30% more waste in December than in any other month, every action will help.

By following the tips in this article and sharing these ideas with friends, you can help spark a ripple of positive change, making this season brighter and greener for dogs, people, and our beautiful planet.

Read More.

Love this guide? Explore more seasonal wellbeing, behaviour and lifestyle articles over on the Paws the Word blog and keep learning with us.